Cubs rookie Alexander Canario held his bat in the air for a moment on his follow through, watching the fly ball tower over Wrigley Field. 

He’d just hit a grand slam for his second major-league hit. 

Canario logged a lot of firsts in the Cubs’ 14-1 victory against the Pirates on Tuesday: first time in the starting lineup, first hits, first RBI, first home run. 

Third baseman Nick Madrigal’s right hamstring strain set off a chain reaction, resulting in a new-look lineup against the Pirates and lefty starter Bailey Falter on Tuesday. Canario served as the designated hitter. Christopher Morel, who has mostly been the DH this season, started at third base for the first time since July 5. Patrick Wisdom slid over to first base, and Cody Bellinger started in center field. 

“He hasn’t had a whole lot of bats,” manager David Ross said of Canario, who had one major-league pinch hit at-bat before Tuesday, “but fits into the role that matches up today.”

Whether it was the new lineup, or the off day Monday, or facing the Pirates back home at Wrigley Field, the Cubs offense came alive Tuesday. 

They scored early. With home runs from Dansby Swanson and Seiya Suzuki, an RBI double from Wisdom and a sacrifice fly from Nico Hoerner, the Cubs took a 5-1 lead in the first three innings of the game. 

Canario recorded his first major-league hit in the sixth inning, an RBI double.

Then, he broke open the game with his eighth-inning grand slam. Bellinger tacked on later in the inning with a three-run homer. And Jared Young hit an RBI triple.

Madrigal to IL

The imaging done on Madrigal’s right hamstring showed more damage than the Cubs were expecting, according to Ross. 

The team, originally hopeful that Madrigal would be able to avoid the injured list, put the third baseman on the 10-day IL, retroactive to Sunday. In a corresponding move Tuesday, the Cubs recalled Young. 

“I’m not ruling out, hopefully, postseason stuff,” Ross said, “and he’ll still be working and trying to get back.”

Madrigal had his right hamstring surgically repaired in 2021. This is the second time this season that he’s re-injured his hamstring. He left the Cubs’ extra-innings game against the Diamondbacks on Saturday in the 10th when his hamstring tightened up. 

Rotation reorder

The Cubs used the off day Monday to reordered their rotation. Right-hander Javier Assad started Tuesday, with Justin Steele and Kyle Hendricks set to pitch Wednesday and Thursday. 

“Lining up our best pitching for the rest of the season and then postseason,” Ross said. 

The Cubs plan to push right-hander Jameson Taillon back to start Friday, the Sun-Times has learned

The Cubs could use their off day next week to adjust their rotation order again. But as it stands, Steele is lined up to pitch the last game of the regular season, which is shaping up to be consequential for postseason standings. 

This and that

• Assad held the Pirates to one run and five hits in five innings. The only run he allowed was Ke’Bryan Hayes’ solo homer in the third inning.
• Hoerner extended his career-long hitting streak to 13 games, tied for the longest streak by a Cub this season.
• Closer Adbert Alzolay (strained right forearm) was scheduled to progress to long toss on Tuesday.
• The game between the Cubs and Pirates on Tuesday started in an hour and a half rain delay.